Yarn feeding mechanism



Oct. 4, 1955 ST. PIERRE ET AL 2,719,420

YARN FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 21, 1952 "EJ Z 3 I [Will 7055a? WA K)ATTy United States Patent YARN FEEDING MECHANISM Eugene St. Pierre,Pawtucket, and Joseph Wawzonek, Cumberland, R. I., assignors to HemphillCompany, Pawtucket, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationAugust 21, 1952, Serial No. 305,582

3 Claims. (Cl. 66-138) This invention is concerned with circular,independent needle, knitting machines; and, in particular, withimprovements in yarn feeding levers and yarn lever assemblies for use insuch machines.

When several yarn feeds are employed in circular knitting machines, thedifferent yarns are fed through individual yarn feeding levers usuallymounted in-line at a yarn feeding position proximate the needlecylinder.

In this arrangement, there is a tendency for the yarn fed by one of thelevers, as it is pulled sidewards by rotation of the needle cylinder, tobe drawn across other levers in the line. This sometimes results in theyarn being caught between levers as they are lowered and raised into andout of yarn feeding position. To overcome this difliculty, it has beenthe custom in the prior art to build up the yarn feeding portion of yarnlevers in multi-lever assemblies into a tube-like extension which willfend-off the yarn from neighboring levers and prevent suchentanglements.

When a relatively large number of yarn levers, say nine or more, areconfined in a narrow yarn feeding area, the levers must be very thinwith a consequent reduction in the size of the yarn feeding passagewaythrough them. This causes a problem with the above referred to tube-likeextensions. The passage through which the yarn is fed becomes, ofnecessity, so small that great difficulty is experienced in threadingthe levers manually. It also becomes difficult, in the process ofmanufacturing the levers, to give the inside passage in the long, thin,tube-like members the high polish necessary to curtail yarn breakage.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a yarnfeeding lever which will be of a thin, yet strong, construction,suitable for use in multi-lever yarn feeding assemblies, and having ayarn feeding passage which is easily polished and threaded.

This is accomplished by a yarn feeding lever having spaced apart yarnfeeding eyelets and a yarn-fending guide, in a single unitary assembly.One such assembly is described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the yarn feeding lever, taken along the line1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a yarn lever assembly embodying the invention.

The yarn lever 1 of Fig. 1 comprises a shank portion 2 adapted toreciprocate upon a shaft 3, and a yarn feeding portion 4 with spacedapart members 5 and 6 containing yarn feeding eyelets 7 and 8. Members 5and 6 are connected by cross members 9 and 10 and, in consequence, theyarn feeding portion 4 takes the shape of an open centered polygon withcooperating yarn feeding apertures or eyelets in substantially axialalignment across the open center, the alignment being adequate for freepassage of yarn therethrough.

In the mode of operation demonstrated by the drawings, the lever 1 inboth figures is in the down, or yarn feeding, position, while the lever11 is in the up, nonfeeding position. The connecting member 9 preventsyarn fed through the eyelets of another lever, such as 11, from cuttingacross or in between the members 5 and 6 of lever 1 where it might becaught.

Because yarn feeding eyelets 7 and 8 are comparatively short as comparedto the tube-like extensions of the prior art referred to above, andbecause of the open space between them which provides ample digitalaccess, the lever of this invention can be very easily threadedmanually. Also, the eyelets can be easily polished on the inside.Interior polishing of the long tubes of the prior art is next toimpossible without the removal of more material than is available inthin levers.

The peculiar shape of the yarn feeding portion of the lever shown in thedrawing assures that individual levers will remain in line, because theyarn feeding portion of one remains in contact with neighboring leversregardless of their relative positions. Thus, the end of one lever cannot swing out of line suificiently to interfere with the operation ofanother.

The construction in the drawings shows the entire lever 1 with its shank2 and members 5, 6, 9 and 10 which form the yarn feeding portion, allcast in a single piece, the yarn feeeding portion 4 being aquadrilateral with an open or hollow center. Other polygonal or opencenterclosed perimeter shapes may be used or, for example, the member 10may be eliminated. It is, however, a feature of the invention that theguide member 9, or its equivalent, be interposed between the memberscontaining yarn feeding eyelets 7 and 8.

We claim:

1. For a circular, independent needle, knitting machine a yarn feedinglever having a shank portion and a yarn feeding portion, said yarnfeeeding portion comprising a plurality of members joined to form thesides of an open-center polygon, two opposite side members of saidpolygon having axially aligned yarn feeding holes therethrough, saidopposite members being spaced apart a sufiicient distance to permitindependent manual threading of yarn through individual ones of saidyarn feeeding holes.

2. For a circular, independent needle, knitting machine a yarn feedinglever which comprises an opencenter portion, and cooperating yarnfeeding holes in said portion in substantial axial alignment across saidopen center, said open center being sufliciently large to permit digitalaccess for the purpose of threading yarns through said holes.

3. In a circular, independent needle, knitting machine a yarn feedingassembly which includes a plurality of yarn feeding levers each of saidlevers having an open center, closed perimeter, portion with yarnfeeding apertures in axial alignment across said open center, said opencenter being large enough to permit digital access to aid in threadingyarn through said apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,883,320 Aaronson Oct. 18, 1932 1,883,337 Collar Oct. 18, 19321,952,318 Holmes et al Mar. 27, 1934 2,096,667 Broadwell et al Oct. 19,1937 2,122,845 Raulston et al. July 5, 1938 2,231,672 Lombardi Feb. 11,1941 2,271,302 Moses Jan. 27, 1942 2,543,121 Mishcon et a1 2. Feb. 27,1951

